10 



45° N., and west of longitude 50°30' W., to the exclusion of all other 

 parts of the area. The field ice was more dense and heavier than any- 

 reported during February and bergs continued to move mto the above 

 area in good numbers. Ice conditions in the congested area, say 

 within a radius of 120 miles of Cape Race, which includes practically 

 all the ice south of latitude 48° N., were particularly difficult to deter- 

 mine during this month. As the field ice and bergs spread south and 

 southeast from Cape Race as a center, ice conditions in the area, 

 between the Cape and the eastern and southern limits of the ice, became 

 less and less known. This field ice was heavy and so closely packed 

 that it was dangerous for any but ships specifically built to work in 

 ice, and when this became generally known all vessels, except for those 

 bound to Newfoundland ports, avoided this area. This, of course, 

 resulted in a great scarcity of reports from this region. The situation 

 remained substantially the same throughout the month. Heavy field 

 ice was reported March 28 extending 63 miles east southeast from 

 Scatari Island, Cape Breton Island. This was the only report of 

 St. Lawrence ice for the month. On March 29 and 30 a large mass of 

 field ice was located, m which 10 large bergs were counted, extending 

 100 miles in an east southeast direction from latitude 48° N., longitude 

 49° W. This field ice was first reported on March 17 and had appar- 

 ently moved to the eastward since that date. This ice was the only 

 ice reported east of longitude 50° W. in March. It is estimated that 

 121 bergs drifted south of latitude 48° N. durmg the month and the 

 distribution of the ice is graphically shown on the March Ice Chart. 

 (See fig. 4.) 



APRIL 1937 



This month brought a change in the ice distribution. For the first 

 time since February bergs began drifting southward along the eastern 

 edge of the Banks. From April 1 to 27 eleven bergs drifted south of 

 latitude 45 into the critical area along the southeastern edge of the 

 Banks. These bergs formed the first real threat to the United States- 

 European lane routes since January. One berg, observed by the 

 patrol vessel from April 21 to 30, drifted southward across track C to 

 latitude 42°07' N, This was the extreme southern limit of the ice 

 for the season. Reports of field ice were noticeably less during this 

 month, especially in the ice infested area south and east of Cape Race. 

 With the breaking up and disappearance of the heavy field ice the use 

 of track F became more general and a more accurate knowledge of the 

 true conditions in that area was obtained. The situation remained 

 dangerous throughout the month as shown by repeated reports of 

 numerous bergs and growlers in scattered positions in vicinity of Cape 

 Race and extending southeast and south to latitude 46° N. and west 

 to longitude 55° W. Large areas of field ice continued to be reported 

 north of latitude 46°50' N. and west of longitude 50° W. in the last 



